The Patriots traded a third round pick in this year’s draft to the San Francisco 49ers for offensive tackle Trent Brown yesterday.
They followed that up last night by trading down with the Bears and acquiring a fourth round pick this year and a 2019 second round pick. They then traded up and drafted cornerback Duke Dawson out of Florida at pick 56. Did you get all that?
Ok. Good. Now let’s talk about what they got.
Trade: Trent Brown, OT, Florida, 6-8 355
What I Like: I like Brown’s size and his feet. He is one of the best pass blocking right tackles in the NFL. He is so good in in fact that the Patriots could rep him at left tackle as well. As a run blocker, Brown is good, not great. He has strong hands and is able to get inside position on defenders and get movement off the ball. Brown is athletic enough to come off a double team and play in space on a consistent basis.
What I Don’t Like: Brown can be lazy at times and he is not a natural bender. He comes out of his stance high and exposes his chest. Brown struggles with active defensive ends that move well laterally and take gaps. He can be dominant at times as a run blocker and other times he looks lost. Brown does a poor job of sustaining positioning on run blocks. Defenders fall off of him.
Final Thoughts: The Patriots paid an expensive price for a right tackle with weight and inconsistency issues. Brown is a good pass blocker but is inconsistent as a run blocker. He is also in the final year of contract which means he will need to make an impact right away and impress. Especially if he wants the Patriots to sign him to a new deal.
Pick #56: Duke Dawson, CB, Florida, 5-11 197
What I Like: Dawson played safety and corner at Florida. He is versatile in that he can play two positions and has alignment experience which is important when it comes to coverage adjustments.
Dawson is a physical corner who can play outside or in the slot. He is ideally suited to play the nickel spot because he is comfortable playing inside and does a good job of redirecting receivers on the snap. Dawson is instinctive. He does a good job of route reading and matching up. He reads route breaks well and maintains hip position in transition. Dawson has good ball skills. He catch the ball cleanly and has enough height that he can high point passes in jump ball situations.
What I Don’t Like: Dawson is most effective underneath against three passing game, crossing routes and perimeter screens. He lacks the vertical speed to carry routes down the field consistently. Dawson ran a 4.46 forty so it is surprising that he doesn’t play as fast vertically.
Dawson likes to grab a lot at the line of scrimmage. He over extends himself when he’s pressing and he ends up getting beat at the snap. He clutches and grabs way too much which is going to be a problem in the NFL with the five yard rule.
Final Thoughts: I predicted the Patriots were going to draft Dawson earlier this week. He fits their profile physically and his style of play is what they look at the cornerback position. Dawson should step in and compete for the nickel or dime corner spot in sub packages and play special teams.